University of Evansville senior center Shannon Novosel (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V second team, in a vote of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

For Novosel, it is her first Academic All-District honor, and third career academic award, after earning honorable mention Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete status as a sophomore in 2007, and second team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors as a junior last year.  Academically, Novosel is one of UE’s best, posting a 3.80 cumulative grade point average in Mass Communications and Spanish at Evansville. 

On the court, Novosel was a preseason all-MVC selection this year and has averaged 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game so far, while ranking fifth in the Valley in blocked shots with 29.  Novosel will enter Saturday’s game against Bradley just four points shy of 900 in her UE career, and needs 104 points to become the first Purple Ace in school history (male or female) to record more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in their UE career.

Novosel’s honor marks the third year in a row in which a Purple Ace has been named to the Academic All-District V second team, as she follows in the footsteps of former UE standout Rebekah Parker (2007 and 2008).  Overall, Novosel is the ninth UE women’s basketball player to earn either Academic All-District or Academic All-America honors since 1988.